Google patents contact lenses with embedded camera

Google has filed a patent application with the USPTO for embedding micro cameras into contact lenses, according to TechCrunch. Although the technology can have multiple uses, the one that definitely stands out is the ability to enable users to take photographs with the blink of an eye.

Cameras, which would be fixed in such a manner that the thickness of the lens remains the same, would automatically follow the wearer’s line of sight without any obstruction in view.

The technology could purportedly analyze and detect objects, faces, and colors, and could also benefit medical science. For example, it could help blind people track when it’s safe to cross the street, and send that information to their smartphone, which in turn would read it for them.

The search giant recently announced that it is testing a smart contact lens that contains a glucose sensor, antenna, capacitor and a chip designed to help those with diabetes.

As of now this is just a patent application and may never get materialized, but a product based on this technology will certainly attract some scrutiny and debate over privacy concerns.